The Chickadee Smoke Detector Embodies a Charm Void in Most Warning Devices

Looking around the house, you'll discover a slew of objects that have been designed purely with functionality in mind. It is interesting then to see how something like this Chickadee Smoke Detector has hatched from the dull disk shape of the conventional fire alarm.

Louise van der Veld did not simply dress up the instrument with streamlined contours and a bit of color, for she actually went as far as to sculpt it into a completely different and complex form. Embodying the anatomy of the beloved backyard bird, the gadget is all the more delightful to the eyes.

Based on the historical use of fowl to warn of poisonous gases in mine shafts, the Chickadee Smoke Detector fits its role aptly. A minor threat will cause the cute Charles & Marie contraption to chirp "chick-a-dee" and full-blown warning will cause it to screech "dee-dee-dee."